Tour operator Join UP! Ukraine served more than 236 domestic tourists this summer season, which is 70% more than a year ago, according to Irina Mosulezna, managing director of Join UP! Ukraine, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
In total, over 325,000 Ukrainians used its services to plan their vacations in the first eight months of this year. For comparison, in the same period in 2022, there were 158,000 domestic tourists, in 2023 – 238,000, and last year, according to data from January to August – 260,000.
“This summer, we are seeing a noticeable revival of interest in travel: the number of tourists has increased by more than 70% compared to the summer of 2024. The total volume has not yet reached pre-war levels, but the stable dynamics during the war years are a good sign that Ukrainians are ready to plan their vacations again. There is also a noticeable increase in interest in B2C online booking — we are only at the beginning of this path, but we are already seeing demand for digital services,” Mosulezna said.
According to her, the demands of Ukrainians remain stable: current restrictions on tourists from Russia, popular family trips, and an increase in the number of military personnel among customers. Among other things, she noted that as early as August this year, Ukrainians began booking vacations for the 2026 summer season. This trend demonstrates a gradual return to long-term planning, which was almost unheard of in the early years of the full-scale war.
The most popular summer destinations were the traditional ones: Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and Montenegro. The operator’s summer program included new tours to Mallorca and Alicante (Spain) and an expanded flight program to Halkidiki (Greece). At the same time, Mosulezna also noted the interest of vacationers in a new destination—the resort of El Alamein in Egypt.
As for Turkey, even despite the increase in the cost of holidays, it has maintained its leading position and expanded its offer thanks to the return of the popular resorts of Bodrum and Dalaman, the expert noted.
According to the company, bus tours remain one of the most stable travel formats for Ukrainians during the war. This year, demand has increased most for Bulgaria as a destination due to affordable prices and convenient logistics, with the possibility of departure from frontline cities. Among the new features of the season are the resumption of tours to Greece (Chalkidiki) with departure from Kyiv and Lviv, as well as the offer of luxury buses to Turkey.
As for domestic tourism, the highest demand this summer was traditionally for the Carpathians and popular resorts in western Ukraine: Truskavets, Polyana, Skhidnytsia, and Zakarpattia. The average check for domestic tours this year increased by about 10-15% compared to last year. Demand for Odessa and the Odessa region remained below pre-war levels due to security restrictions and rising hotel prices.
In 2025, the average cost of tourist packages for Ukrainians increased in both the air travel and bus tour segments. For example, bus tours to Bulgaria rose in price by an average of 13%, to Montenegro by 57%, while tours to Turkey became slightly cheaper compared to last year’s offer (by 6%).
Prices for air travel to Greece were 4% higher, to Egypt – 7%, and to Turkey – 13%. Price dynamics were influenced by general market factors such as rising fuel prices, changes in logistics routes, and currency fluctuations.
“Despite the price increase, demand for vacations remains high. Even in difficult conditions, tourism remains a way for Ukrainians to recover physically, emotionally, and socially,” Mosulezna concludes.
As reported, the travel company Join UP! LLC was established in 2013 with a registered capital of UAH 72,671,000. The ultimate beneficiaries are Yuriy and Oleksandr Alby.
According to OpenDataBot, Join UP! Ukraine (Join UP! Ukraine LLC) was established in 2018 with a registered capital of UAH 50,000. Its founder is Join UP! Holding OU (Estonia), and the ultimate beneficiaries are Alina and Alexander Alby.
The brand’s international expansion covers eight markets: the Baltic states, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic. Preparations for the launch in Slovakia and Hungary are nearing completion. Last year, the brand also opened its first franchise agency on the international market in Katowice, Poland.
Ukrainian producers exported chicken eggs worth $103.1 million in January-July 2025, which is 2.6 times more than in the same period last year, according to the Ukrainian Poultry Farmers Union, citing data from the State Customs Service.
The industry association specified that in July this year, 190.6 million eggs worth $17 million were exported, which exceeded the figure a year ago by 86%.
The top three importers of Ukrainian chicken eggs in July 2025 were Spain (21.5 million eggs), the United Kingdom (21.4 million eggs), and Poland (22.7 million eggs).
According to the Ukrainian Poultry Farmers Union, the main buyers of Ukrainian eggs in January-July were Croatia (11.8%), the United Kingdom (10.6%), and Spain (9.5%).
PJSC Zaporizhkox, one of Ukraine’s largest producers of coke and chemical products and a member of the Metinvest Group, increased its blast furnace coke production by 1.46% in January-August this year compared to the same period last year, from 584,100 tons to 592,600 tons.
According to the company, 79.6 thousand tons of coke were produced in August, compared to 78.9 thousand tons in the previous month.
As reported, Zaporizhkox increased its production of blast furnace coke by 2.1% in 2024 compared to 2023, to 874,700 tons from 856,800 tons.
In 2023, Zaporizhkox increased its blast furnace coke output by 16% compared to 2022, to 856,800 tons from 737,400 tons.
Zaporizhkox has a complete technological cycle for processing coke chemical products.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its main shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
During a reception in Kyiv to mark the 80th anniversary of Vietnam National Day, Pham Hai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Ukraine, emphasized that cooperation with Ukraine has significant potential in the areas of economy, technology, and culture.
“Over the past decades, Vietnam has achieved significant success in political, economic, and social development. In 2025, our GDP is projected to reach approximately $510 billion, and foreign trade turnover in 2024 exceeded $800 billion. Vietnam is among the 35 largest economies in the world and among the top 20 leading exporters,” the diplomat noted.
The ambassador said that despite difficult conditions, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Ukraine is showing positive dynamics: in the first half of 2025, its volume increased by 30% to $560 million.
He separately emphasized the role of the Vietnamese community in Ukraine, which numbers more than 800 people and acts as an “important bridge of friendship between the peoples.”
“We highly appreciate the contribution of Ukrainian specialists to the development of Vietnam after the war, as well as the support of our diaspora in Ukraine, which is actively integrated into local society while preserving its cultural identity,” the ambassador said.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Vietnam were established on January 23, 1992. The Vietnamese Embassy in Kyiv opened in 1993, and the Ukrainian Embassy in Hanoi opened in 1997.
Vietnam’s economy (as of 2025)
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group sells 30% of its metal products on the domestic market in Ukraine and supplies 70% to foreign markets, according to the company’s chief operating officer (COO) Alexander Mironenko in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“About 30% of metal companies’ products are sold on the domestic market, while 70% are sold on foreign markets. Most of the products are exported to European countries that share a border with Ukraine or to Southeast Europe, which is where the majority of our rolled metal products are shipped. We also supply rolled products (mainly coil) to the Middle East and Asian countries. A small portion of pig iron is sent to the US, and some is shipped to China through ports,” the agency’s interlocutor explained.
Regarding iron ore products, he noted that China is the main consumer of Metinvest’s iron ore concentrate and pellets. At the same time, approximately 60% of iron ore concentrate is shipped to China through Ukrainian ports.
The company’s iron ore raw materials are also consumed by Northern European countries, with volumes there increasing over the past 1.5 years following a significant improvement in the quality of Metinvest’s iron ore pellets.
“We ship our iron ore products to Northern European countries in order to conquer a new market there,” said Mironenko.
The top manager added that Northern GOK has almost reached its pre-war levels: it has two quarries in operation and a fully loaded enrichment plant. Both roasting machines, LURGI 552A and LURGI 552B, are involved in pellet production, operating alternately depending on the pellet production tasks.
According to him, Southern GOK has also now reached pre-war production volumes. The Central GOK is operating below pre-war volumes: there are two quarries where mining has been suspended, but the enrichment plant is operating at almost 80% capacity, receiving ore from other quarries for enrichment.
He added that Ingulets Mining and Processing Plant is currently at a standstill: “There is a small amount of ore mining and concentrate production for technological purposes – volumes are up to 40,000 tons per month, which is a kind of maintenance mode.”
As reported, in early August this year, the United Mining and Processing Plant (UMPP) of the Metinvest Group, comprising the Central, Ingulets, and Northern Mining and Processing Plants, brought the Artemivsk (Central Mining and Processing Plant), Hannivsk (Northern Mining and Processing Plant), and Kolachevsky (Central Mining and Processing Plant) quarries and mines up to their design capacity.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions – as well as in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
The Fixygen project presents an analysis of promising cryptocurrencies that may increase in value.
1. Ethereum (ETH) – the foundation of decentralized finance
Ethereum continues to show strong momentum. By September 2025, its price had reached a record high of $4,956, and experts predict further growth to $7,500–$12,000, fueled by institutional demand, ETF approval, and the expansion of DeFi and Web3 applications.
2. XRP, Cardano (ADA), and Remittix (RTX) — a balanced portfolio of opportunities
3. DeFi token market: Uniswap, Aave, and Layer Brett
Ethereum remains the foundation, but real income can be generated through DeFi tokens:
It is important to remember that investing in cryptocurrencies is a balance between risk and potential, and it is wiser to invest in projects with working solutions and transparent architecture.
